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NaNoWriMo - what's it all about?

471 replies

Twine88 · 29/09/2016 13:55

I know roughly the idea behind it, but I wondered if anyone had actually taken part and had any thoughts to share?

My novel is already in excess of the 50k but, is still all over the place and needs much editing.

Any thoughts appreciated, even if you considered it and decided no.

OP posts:
JosBoys · 01/12/2017 15:39

I didn't realise NaNoWriMo took down the word counter etc once it was December. I thought I could just keep adding to my word count and monitor my progress on the site. Sad
I'm going to have to make my own graph instead.

Witchend · 01/12/2017 16:30

You can still edit it (or you could earlier today). I altered my day 2 (the only day I didn't write anything) so it looks like I wrote something on every day (albeit 1 word Grin) to see if it would let me and it did.

IHateYourCarpet · 01/12/2017 16:35

Massive well done to everyone here Grin and thank you. You’re all so inspiring - I’m not sure I would have followed through without this thread.

Bigly I’m sure, honestly, it’s no where near as bad as you think it is! I think when you spend 30 straight days staring at something, it’s bound to seem awful. I’m certainly not a fan of mine!

Jos I can’t believe you’re still going! It’s a shame that they take the word counted down.

I think my plan is to attempt another 30 day novel in Jan, to clear my head completely. Then attempt a read through and second draft.

BiglyBadgers · 01/12/2017 18:36

I think your right carpet or at least that is what I am telling myself to make me feel better Grin

I'm on 65k now and it's getting a bit harder as need to start bringing some complicated bits together. It's feeling like slow work. Phew.

Witchend · 01/12/2017 22:12

I think it can be a little bit like when I'm sewing theatre costumes (which I should have been doing panto ones during November).
I look at the finished product and see all the errors I know that I did. I know all the faults and wish I could do it better.
Other people look at them and say "wow, can't believe you did that" and I internally roll my eyes and think how much better if someone that knew how to properly tailor had done it-and that's true, I'm not a good sewer, no one would pay me to do it.

And then I see the show and I think "actually that doesn't look bad" and "oh that works on stage" because I'm looking at the bigger picture; it doesn't matter that the hem was machine sewn slightly wonky and I didn't have time to finish the lining. But also you see it all working together and the little errors aren't visible because you see it all working together.

JosBoys · 02/12/2017 12:25

Witchend that's a lovely description. I'm going to keep going but ignore my wonky hems till next year Wink

BiglyBadgers · 03/12/2017 14:59

That is a nice way of looking at it Witch Smile

I've just decided to shift my end a bit, which should make things a bit easier. Still not sure my timings are going to work, ho hum.

Witchend · 04/12/2017 18:40

Glad you like it.
I should have been doing panto costumes instead of writing really. I've now got a lot to catch up on.

BiglyBadgers · 05/12/2017 09:45

I have a quilt I need to make by Saturday and now a major character has just got himself stuck in a dungeon, so I have to work out how I am going to break him out. Really, blooming inconsiderate of him. Wink

MrsFionaCharming · 05/12/2017 12:55

I’ve taken a week off writing mine to get some distance, and it seems to be working as I keep coming up with ideas. I’m writing them all down in a notebook, but not allowing myself to actually write them until the week is up.

JosBoys · 05/12/2017 16:25

Charming that's a good idea. I'm trying to write about 1000 words per day but I've hit one of those troughs where you think it's all rubbish.

BiglyBadgers · 06/12/2017 11:54

I took a couple of days out to make this quilt and manages to work out a cunning dungeon escape plan while sewing. Definitely worth taking some time out when it's getting tricksy Smile

IHateYourCarpet · 10/12/2017 20:20

It’s so exciting seeing how many of you are stlll going Smile

Has anyone attempted to read their masterpiece yet?

BiglyBadgers · 11/12/2017 13:25

I've hit 70k and had to take a few days off as my brain sort of gave up. Just managed to do a bit more today. I feel like I am so close to getting to the end now....of the first draft anyway.

How are people going with editing?

MrsFionaCharming · 11/12/2017 14:23

WOw Bigly, that’s amazing!

Christmas and a friends wedding have got in the way of doing anymore writing or editing this week. Hopefully I’ll get back to it this evening.

BiglyBadgers · 12/12/2017 20:00

79k and I'm finally about to start my battle! Just battle and then set up for book two end bits to go. Two more chapters I reckon.

Woohoo! Grin

MrsFionaCharming · 14/12/2017 10:01

I got really fed up with staring at mine, so I’m calling the first draft done.

I’ve sent it to 2 friends and am now anxiously awaiting feedback.

MrsFionaCharming · 14/12/2017 10:09

Is anyone considering submitting theirs to the Kindle Scout editorial thing we were emailed about?

BiglyBadgers · 14/12/2017 11:21

I saw that and have thought about it for the feedback. I've still got loads to do before I'm at that stage

JosBoys · 14/12/2017 11:38

Well done everyone! We have been ill so I have been rubbish at writing but I did read some more articles for research. I'm sitting at just over 60,000 but have a massive list of Christmas tasks to tick through. If I get most of them done today, I'm going to go back to writing as a treat Grin

MrsFionaCharming · 14/12/2017 13:56

Just got an update from Friend1, to say she was halfway through and it had made her cry. I’m so ridiculously proud, I’m sitting in the lunch room grinning to myself!

BiglyBadgers · 14/12/2017 15:24

One of the few times when making someone cry is a good thing Grin

MrsFionaCharming · 14/12/2017 18:37

Well her overall feedback was that the plot is good, but there’s not enough plot and character building scenes... which I’ve been thinking since about the second week of NaNo!

Witchend · 14/12/2017 19:44

Just got an update from Friend1, to say she was halfway through and it had made her cry
I was going to write that's nice, but not sure if that can be taken the wrong way.

I'm undecided whether I'm going to just print mine off for the dc to read, try and edit it and get it better finished, or take the idea and totally rewrite it as a sequel to the one I wrote last year.
I won't have time for any until after panto though (end of January)

BiglyBadgers · 14/12/2017 20:07

How's the costume making going witch? Sounds like a handful, but pretty fun in a crazy way. Grin

I think I'm going to have to go back and put in more world building stuff too charming. I've been thinking about a post I think you wrote weeks ago about Harry Potter and the bits of sort of inane stuff that builds a character. I was listening to an audio book where there was this whole bit of the character just unpacking his suitcase in a hotel, but it told you so much about him. I need more stuff like that and more geography and history about the world itself. The thing is I guess I have only really made a lot of it up as I've gone along so didn't know about it at the start. Blush

I was also listening to another book that was a bit rubbish and something that kept annoying me was how it would suddenly headhop into another person's purspective with no warning when you have been happily riding along with the main character. Made me realise I need to go back and check on my perspectives and stuff as I suspect I might have done a bit of this in places without thinking about it.

Writing my own book as certainly made me read and listen to other stuff in a very different way. I notice much more about the technical things that work or don't work.